Source:GMAnews.tv:
It took Adamson just one play to end Far Eastern University's seven-game winning rampage that assured of a Final Four round in the 73rd UAAP men's basketball tournament.
The Falcons leaned on Eric Camson's tip in off an Alex Nuyles missed lay up in the final seconds to complete a stunning 64-63 victory that ended the Tamaraws' bid of an undefeated season in the country’s premier collegiate league.
The win improved Adamson's record to 6-2 for solo second behind the 7-1 slate of FEU, which swept the first round.
More importantly, the win serves as a confidence booster for the San Marcelino-based squad strengthening their bid of returning to the Final Four. Adamson first earned a semis berth in the 2006 season.
After coming back from an 11-point third quarter deficit to grab the lead, the Falcons appeared to have wasted a chance to beat the league's top team when RR Garcia found Aldrech Ramos underneath who scored the go-ahead basket with 6.8 seconds remaining to push FEU up, 63-62.
But the San Marcelino-based squad found a big break in the next play.
Roider Cabrera issued an inbound pass to Nuyles, who split the FEU defense and went straight for a lay up. He missed the lay up try, but Camson was there to tip the ball in for the winning bucket and the final tally, 64-63, only 2.2 ticks left that put the Adamson crowd at the Araneta Coliseum in frenzy.
FEU's Aldrech Ramos (left) and RR Garcia (partly hidden) trap Adamson's Lester Alvarez underneath the basket during their game in the 73rd UAAP men's basketball tournament on Thursday at the Araneta Coliseum. GMANews.TV
FEU, with no timeouts left, tried to answer back but Garcia's desperation half-court heave only hit the top of the board as the buzzer sounded signaling the end of the Tams' 16-game winning streak against the Falcons, which dates back to the 2002 season.
The last time Adamson defeated FEU, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was still the country's Chief Executive.
And for coach Leo Austria, there was an assurance of a Final Four.
UAAP rules state that a team that sweeps the double elimination round will automatically gain a finals berth plus a twice-to-beat advantage. The lower three teams, on the other hand, collide in a stepladder phase to determine the last finalist.
But there won't be any such occurrence for the third consecutive season.
"There's a lot of criticism that we have not yet developed that winning attitude in that endgame but it seems that we have turned the tables around this year," said Adamson coach Leo Austria added.
Nuyles and Camson topscored with 14 points each with the latter, a sophomore player from Lemery, Batangas, adding eight boards.
The Tams led for most part of the game with Reil Cervantes' inside incursion gave FEU a 57-46 spread with 1:10 to go in the third period.
But the Tamaraws went erratic in the final canto, making just six points on just 1-of-13 shooting. From there, the Falcons capitalized and a Janus Lozada three-pointer eventually put Adamson on top (59-58) with four minutes left.
Adamson's Roider Cabrera (center) attempts a shot against FEU's
Grayann Mendoza (left) and Reil Cervantes during their game in the 73rd UAAP men's basketball tournament on Thursday at the Araneta Coliseum. GMANews.TV
Garcia later tied the game on two free-throws with 2:35 left then Lozada split his charities for a 62-61 advantage, 2:15 to go.
Camson then made one of his two blocks with under a minute left swatting Garcia's potential go-ahead drive to the basket but Lester Alvarez hanged on to the ball longer and the Falcons were called for a shot clock violation with 22.1 to go to set up Ramos's basket.
The 5-foot-11 Garcia, the MVP race leader, had 16 points, three rebounds and two assists but was hounded all second half long by the defense of Adamson's big guards such as William Stinnett and Lozada.
No other FEU player scored in double figures with Paul Sanga and Ramos adding nine points each while Cervantes and Anton Bringas tallied eight and six markers, respectively.
The Adamson Falcons also clobbered the University of Santo Tomas Growling tigers. They are on a 5 game winning streak. Can they sustain their momentum and go straight to the Finals of the UAAP season 73? Yes they can! Go Adamson!
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